Swimming noodle

ABSTRACT

A noodle apparatus adapted for using as swimming noodle, toy and/or cushioning includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and at least one elongated main body integrally extended between the first end portion and the second end portion. The main body is made of deformable and floatable material so that the swimming noodle is capable of floating on water. The main body has a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a spirally extending manner, wherein the elongated main body is arranged to be selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a noodle apparatus for swimming andcushioning, and more particularly to a noodle for swimming andcushioning which is twisted to form a spirally extending main body forallowing a user to flexibly accomplish a desirable purpose.

2. Description of Related Arts

A conventional swimming noodle usually comprises an elongated body whichis made of deformable and floatable material for floating on a swimmingpool or a beach. Conventional swimming noodles are usually required forpartitioning a swimming pool into several lanes. Moreover, manyconventional swimming noodles are designed for training beginners or forassisting persons with special needs. For example, some people with legor back injury may need exercising in water in order to minimize strainimposed on his or her back. In these situations, the user may need to dosome mild exercises in water and swimming noodles are needed for guidingor assisting them.

There are several disadvantages related to conventional swimmingnoodles. First, conventional swimming noodles are fixed in size andshape so that one swimming noodle is only suitable for one purpose. Forexample, a length of a conventional swimming noodle cannot be altered sothat when a shorter or a longer length is required, another swimmingnoodle must be acquired. In other words, conventional swimming noodlesdo not provide any flexibility in length for facilitating differentneeds of an user.

Second, conventional swimming noodles such as the one described aboveare not usually bendable in the sense that when it is bent to a certainextent, the swimming noodle is vulnerable to break. As a result, whenswimming noodles of curved shape are needed, the user has to purchaseanother swimming noodle having such a desirable shape. In other words,conventional swimming noodles can only perform one particular ordesigned function. A given swimming noodle is usually not capable ofperforming several functions. That is to say, conventional swimmingnoodles fails to provide flexibility for bending or twisting toperforming several functions to fit the different needs of an user.

Third, conventional swimming noodles are rigid in shape and size and arebulky for storage or transportation. Since conventional swimming noodleslack flexibility for bending or twisting, it is not possible to alterits shape into a compact size for storage or transportation.

Fourth, conventional swimming noodles have a very limited utility, whichis restricted to providing buoyancy through its elongated body which isfixed in length and shape. Accordingly, conventional swimming noodlesare not suitable for defining a boundary in water, especially when theboundary required is irregular in shape, such as a circular boundary forwater game.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention is advantageous in that it provides a noodle apparatusadapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or cushioning, which istwisted to form a spirally extending main body for allowing a user toflexibly accomplish a desirable purpose.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle apparatusadapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or cushioning, which iscapable of substantially being stretched and bent so as to allow a userof the present invention to alter a shape of the main body for suitingdifferent needs.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle apparatusadapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or cushioning, which issimple in structure and does not involve complicated manufacturingprocedure. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the present inventioncan be minimized.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle apparatusadapted to be used as swimming noodle, toys and/or cushioning, which hasextensive utility through its flexibility in length and shape.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide a noodle apparatuswhich has a substantive flexible body and a length flexibility such thatthe noodle apparatus can be extended to be used as a self floating poolrope.

Additional advantages and features of the invention will become apparentfrom the description which follows, and may be realized by means of theinstrumentalities and combinations particular point out in the appendedclaims.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects andadvantages are attained by providing a noodle apparatus, comprising:

a first end member;

a second end member; and

at least one elongated main body integrally extended between the firstend member and the second end member, wherein the main body is made ofdeformable and floatable material so that the noodle apparatus iscapable of floating on water, wherein the main body has a predeterminedcross section and is twisted in a spirally extending manner, wherein theelongated main body is arranged to be selectively stretched to fit adesirable need of a user.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a noodle apparatus according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are schematic views of the noodle apparatusaccording to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention,illustrating the noodle apparatus can be used in many situations.

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3C are schematic diagrams of the noodle apparatusaccording to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention,illustrating different cross sectional shapes of the noodle apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an alternative mode of the noodle apparatus according to theabove preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring FIG. 1, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B, and FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C of thedrawings, a noodle apparatus, adapted to be used as swimming noodle, toyand/or cushioning. According to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated, the present invention is embodied as a noodleapparatus which comprises a first end member 10, a second end member 20,and an elongated main body 30.

The elongated main body 30 is integrally extended between the first endmember 10 and the second end portion 20, wherein the main body 30 ismade of deformable and floatable material so that the noodle apparatusis capable of floating on water, wherein the main body 30 has apredetermined cross section and is twisted in a spirally extendingmanner, wherein the elongated main body 30 is arranged to be selectivelystretched to fit a desirable need of a user.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the firstend member 10, the second end member 20 and the elongated main body 30are preferably made of the same deformable and floatable material sothat the entire noodle apparatus is able to float on water. Moreover,the first end member 10, the second end member 20, and the elongatedmain body 30 have a same predetermined cross sectional area for forminga uniform appearance along the entire noodle apparatus.

It is worth mentioning that the predetermined cross sectional shapementioned above can be embodied as a wide variety of shapes, andpreferably circular cross sectional shape. However, the first end member10, the second end member 20, and the elongated main body 30 may have atriangular cross sectional shape (FIG. 3B), hexagonal cross sectionalshape, elliptical cross sectional shape (FIG. 3C), quadrilateral crosssectional shape (FIG. 3A), or any other cross sectional shapes.

Moreover, the first end member 10, the second end member 20, and theelongated main body 30 are preferably solid. However, they can also bemanufactured as forming a hollow structure so that each of the first endmember 10, the second end member 20 and the elongated main body 30 has athrough cavity 31 formed therein so as to form a loop or a ring-shapedcross section for each of these members (FIG. 4 of the drawings).

The elongated main body 30 is twisted during manufacturing so as to forma spirally extending main body 30 from the first end member 10 to thesecond end member 20, wherein the elongated main body 30 is arranged tobe freely stretched or compressed for altering an overall length of thenoodle apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 2A of the drawings, when the elongated main body 30 islongitudinally stretched, an overall length of the noodle apparatus canbe substantially increased. Since the elongated main body 30 is made ofdeformable material, when it is stretched to such an extent, the noodleapparatus is not vulnerable to breakage and a user of the presentinvention can utilize the extended noodle apparatus for a desirablepurpose. On the other hand, the elongated main body 30 can be fullycompressed to shorten an overall length of the noodle apparatus, asshown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. As shown in FIG. 2B of the drawings,the noodle apparatus can also form a loop or boundary in a swimming poolso as to partition a predetermined area from the other parts of theswimming pool.

In other words, the elongated main body 30 of the noodle apparatus has apredetermined elasticity so as to allow a user to stretch or compress toa predetermined extent for accomplishing a desirable purpose withoutrequiring another noodle apparatus.

Because of the elasticity possessed by the elongated main body 30, andbecause of the spirally extending nature thereof, the elongated mainbody 30 is also able to be flexibly bent to form a curved cross sectionso as to accomplish a desirable purpose. For example, the elongated mainbody 30 may be bent to form a circular area surrounded by the elongatedmain body 30, in which a user is able to swim or perform exercise withinthis circular area, as shown in FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B of the drawings.

Moreover, the noodle apparatus further has a receiving cavity 40 formedwithin the spirally extending elongated main body 30, wherein a user isable to insert an external object into the receiving cavity 40 forspecific purposes. For example, a user may insert an elongated metallicbar into the receiving cavity 40 in such a manner that the noodleapparatus may act as a protector so that other people are prevented fromaccidentally hitting the metallic bar. From this perspective, one mayappreciate that the noodle apparatus of the present invention may beused for a wide variety of purposes, and not just those related toswimming. Note that this receiving cavity 40 is formed irrespective ofwhether the main body portion 30 is solid or hollow in structure.

It is also worth mentioning that since the elongated main body 30 isspirally extending from the first end member 10 and the second endmember 20, a visible surface 32 of the elongated main body 30 issubstantially increased as compared with conventional swimming noodle.The reason is that for conventional swimming noodle, the main portionsare not spirally extending, and they may immerse into the water andtherefore become invisible to swimmers. However, since the elongatedmain body 30 of the noodle apparatus of the present invention isspirally extending, the visible surface area can be substantiallyincreased and maximized. When the visible surface 32 is coated with apredetermined material having a predetermined color, such as florescentmaterial, the noodle apparatus is maximally visible to swimmers andother people.

The first end member 10 and the second end member 20 can be made to haveany shape in order to suit user's need or marketing circumstances. Forexample, each of the first end member 10 and the second end member 20can also be shaped and crafted to have a spirally extending structure.However, the first end member 10 and the second end member 20 may bemade to be elongated in structure for fastening to other objects.

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the noodle apparatus comprises anelongated body 30 extended between a first end member 10 and a secondend member 20. In particular, the elongated body 30 is made ofdeformable and floatable material so that the noodle apparatus iscapable of floating on water. The elongated body 30 has a circularcross-section having a diameter D1 and is twisted in a spirallyextending manner such that a circular receiving cavity 40 having adiameter D2 is formed through the spirally extending elongated body 30.The diameter D2 is greater than the diameter D1 such that an enhancedbuoyancy level is provided to the elongated body 30 by the provision ofthe receiving cavity 40. In other words, the floating ability of thenoodle apparatus is increased dramatically through the spirallyextending elongated body 30.

When the elongated body 30 is stretched to extend between towards thefirst and the second end member 10, 20, the diameter D2 is decreaseduntil a minimum diameter is reached. In other words, the overallthickness of the elongated body 30 is at least increased by the minimumdiameter and at least an additional floating ability is provided throughthe provision of the minimum diameter.

The noodle apparatus may further comprise a connector 50 at one or bothof the first end member 10 and the second end member 20 for attachingthe noodle apparatus into a supporting object to secure into position.For example, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the connector 50 is aclipping hook arranged for hooking the noodle apparatus onto a rodshaped supporting object. Accordingly, the noodle apparatus can be usedfor lane partition in the pool or the like.

It is worth mentioning that when two connectors 50 are provided at boththe first end member 10 and the second end member 20 respectively, thetwo clipping hook at the first end member 10 and the second end member20 can be interconnected to form a floating ring which is selfsupporting and floating on water to define a play area which ispartitioned through the floating ring formed by the noodle apparatus.

The elongated body 30 of the noodle apparatus has a smooth exteriorsurface which is safe to touch and hold by an user. The deformable andfloatable material which is used to manufacture the elongated body 30can inherently provide the smooth exterior surface without anyadditional step of manufacture. In other words, when the noodleapparatus is used for lane partition, no rough surface will be exposedto the user and injury relating to scratching or cutting is eliminated.Compared to using regular rope with floater for lane partition, thenoodle apparatus of the present invention provided a safe andconvenience alternative.

In addition, the noodle apparatus may further comprises a coating 33 onthe exterior surface of the elongated body 30 for providing colorindication such that the lane partition is highlighted and appearedprominent to the user in the pool or in water.

It is worth mentioning that the noodle apparatus of the presentinvention can be used in other circumstances apart from swimming noodle,for example, the noodle apparatus can be used as a toy for children toplay, a floating device by connecting multiple noodle apparatusestogether, or used for packaging in which the noodle apparatus can beused for wrapping an object, such as a leg or a post of a furniture, toprevent the object from accidentally damaging because of externalimpact. In addition, the noodle apparatus of the present invention canbe used to embed an object, such as a wooden or a metallic rod, so thatit acts as a protective cushion for preventing others from hitting theobject, that serves as a safety device for use in a wide variety ofcircumstances.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of thepresent invention as shown in the drawings and described above isexemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have beenfully and effectively accomplished. Its embodiments have been shown anddescribed for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structuralprinciples of the present invention and is subject to change withoutdeparture from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes allmodifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A noodle apparatus, comprising: a first end member; a second end member; and at least one elongated main body integrally extended between said first end member and said second end member, wherein said main body is made of deformable and floatable material so that said noodle apparatus is capable of floating on water, wherein said main body has a predetermined cross section and is twisted in a spirally extending manner, wherein said elongated main body is arranged to be selectively stretched to fit a desirable need of a user.
 2. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body are made of deformable and floatable material so that said noodle apparatus is able to float on water.
 3. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein said first end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body have a same predetermined cross sectional area for forming a uniform appearance along said entire noodle apparatus.
 4. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body has a triangular cross sectional shape.
 5. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body has a quadrilateral cross sectional shape.
 6. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein said first end member, said second end member, and said elongated main body has an elliptical cross sectional shape.
 7. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body has a through cavity formed therein so as to form a ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body.
 8. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body has a through cavity to formed therein so as to form a ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body.
 9. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body has a through cavity formed therein so as to form a ring-shaped cross section for each of said first end member, said second end member and said elongated main body.
 10. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 7, further having a receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
 11. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 8, further having a receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
 12. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 9, further having a receiving cavity formed within said spirally extending elongated main body, wherein a user is able to insert an external object into said through cavity for achieving a predetermined purpose.
 13. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 10, further comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end member and said second end member respectively for attaching said noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
 14. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end member and said second end member respectively for attaching said noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
 15. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of connectors provided on said first end member and said second end member respectively for attaching said noodle apparatus onto a supporting object.
 16. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 13, further comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said elongated body for providing color indication.
 17. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 14, further comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said elongated body for providing color indication.
 18. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 15, further comprising a coating formed on an exterior surface of said elongated body for providing color indication.
 19. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 16, wherein said elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus.
 20. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 17, wherein said elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus.
 21. The noodle apparatus, as recited in claim 18, wherein said elongated main body is spirally extending from said first end member and said second end member, wherein a visible surface of said elongated main body is substantially increased so as to increase a visible surface area of said noodle apparatus. 